Müllerian mimicry and the coloration patterns of sympatric coral snakes
Abstract Coral snakes in the genus Micrurus are venomous, aposematic organisms that signal danger to predators through vivid coloration. Previous studies found that they serve as models to several harmless species of Batesian mimics. However, the extent to which Micrurus species engage in Müllerian mimicry remains poorly understood. We integrate detailed morphological and geographical distribution data to investigate if coral snakes are Müllerian mimics. We found that coloration is spatially structured and that Micrurus species tend to be more similar where they co-occur. Though long supposed, we demonstrate for the first time that coral snakes might indeed be Müllerian mimics as they show some convergence in coloration patterns. Additionally, we found that the length of red-coloured rings in Micrurus is conserved, even at large geographic scales. This finding suggests that bright red rings may be under more substantial stabilizing selection than other aspects of coloration and probably function as a generalized signal for deterring predators.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 1840648
- Journal Information:
- Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Journal Name: Biological Journal of the Linnean Society Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 135; ISSN 0024-4066
- Publisher:
- Oxford University PressCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Screening of Bothrops snake venoms for L-amino acid oxidase activity
Toxins not neutralized by brown snake antivenom